Refrigerator shelf assembly allowing partial repositioning of shelf units

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a household appliance and more particularly a refrigeration appliance having a shelf which is sectionally arranged to provide a space-increasing shelf assembly. The present invention more specifically relates to a refrigeration appliance having a sectionally organized shelf assembly ( 1 ) in a refrigeration cabin thereof, the shelf assembly ( 1 ) comprising a front and a rear shelf units ( 2, 3 ) respectively neighboring in the depthwise direction of the refrigeration cabin, the front and rear shelf units ( 2, 3 ) being displaceable relative to a pair of brackets to which they are attachable.

The present invention relates to a household appliance and more particularly a refrigeration appliance having a shelf which is sectionally arranged to provide a space-increasing shelf assembly.

In refrigeration appliances, inner storing area efficiency is one of the most important concerns for the consumer. There are different solutions in the state of art provided for storing products having big dimensions such as bigger bottles. To this end, various designs of shelf assemblies are proposed, having different techniques to increase the efficiency of the inner storage.

A refrigeration appliance has a plurality of shelves and containers for preserving food items. While a plurality of shelves may carry various size food containers, a sectional shelf may typically be employed to extend the inner capacity of the appliance to allow the users to store items having bigger dimensions.

Sectional shelves are generally comprised of two pieces wherein the front unit of the shelf can be placed below or above the rear unit of the shelf to store larger items such as long bottles on the lower shelf. Alternatively, the front unit may be moved forward a certain distance.

The translocation of the shelf is possible by means of a railing system connected to the shelves. Railing systems generally consist of two different sliding axes while a first axis brings the pair of the shelves to the same level and the other axis allowing for sliding the front unit above or underneath the rear shelf. Alternatively, the front shelf can be removed and placed over the rear shelf. This placement has the disadvantage in that the usage of the inner volume of the fridge is unnecessarily inefficient due to the space occupation by the removed unit for the temporary storage thereof.

A prior art publication in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as EP2749828, disclosing a shelf assembly for a refrigerator. The shelf assembly includes a rear shelf and a front shelf movable with respect to the rear shelf, where the front shelf is selectively located at an overlapping position where the front shelf at least partially overlaps the rear shelf in a vertical direction and projects at an extending position in front of the rear shelf, the rear shelf includes a rear glass plate and a first frame portion connected to a front edge portion of the rear glass plate. The first frame portion includes an extending portion extending forward and having a hook portion at a distal end thereof. The front shelf includes a front glass plate and a second frame portion connected to a rear edge portion of the front glass plate, and the second frame portion includes a second edge covering portion extending along a lower surface of the front glass plate. When the front shelf is located at the extending position, the extending portion overlaps the front glass plate in the vertical direction, and the hook portion is clamped to a front end surface of the second edge covering portion.

According to the present invention, the volume of the lower compartment is maintained in the case where the sectional units of the upper shelf as well as the lower shelf are not overlapped such that it is still possible to benefit from both halves of the shelf units by forwarding the front shelf so that bigger/longer containers can be placed on the lower shelf while a longer neck portion of a bottle extends through an opening between the two halves of the shelf units.

The present invention provides a refrigeration appliance with a shelf assembly comprised of two sections with a first one arrangeable to be rotated and a second one slidable to replace the first unit as defined by the characterizing features in Claim 1 and subsequent Claims.

Primary object of the present invention is hence to provide a sectionally arrangeable shelf assembly enabling locational configuration of the shelf units depending on the specific storage needs.

The present invention proposes a refrigeration appliance with a sectional shelf assembly having a rear shelf unit which can be rotated around an axis parallel to the inner rear wall of the refrigeration cabin. When the rear shelf unit is lifted, the front shelf unit becomes slidable in the depthwise direction into the cabin such that an enlarged vertical space is formed on the front part of a lower shelf.

Alternatively, the user may also configure positioning of the front and rear shelf units such that while the front unit maintains its original position, the vertical space proximate the rotated or lifted rear shelf unit is advantageously used for storing bigger-size containers, for example in the case where such receptacles contain substances needed on a less frequent basis.

It is further possible to bring the front shelf unit forward a certain amount to carry food items and containers in extended position. This extended position will provide a relatively small opening in the event that the rear shelf unit remains unlifted and this opening will serve for allowing passage of bigger containers' upper portions placed on the lower shelf such as neck portions of bottles.

Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a sliding shelf system whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.

The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in the claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.

FIG. 1 demonstrates a general perspective view representing a sliding shelf system inside a refrigeration appliance according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 demonstrates an enlarged view of a sliding shelf system according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3a to 3d demonstrate side views of four different storage options according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 demonstrates an enlarged view of a first storage option according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 demonstrates another enlarged view of the first storage option according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 demonstrates an enlarged view of a second storage option according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 demonstrates an enlarged view of a third storage option according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 demonstrates an enlarged view of a fourth storage option according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 demonstrates a general perspective view of the shelf assembly in a partially assembled manner according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 demonstrates an enlarged view of a slideway channel according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 demonstrates a lower side enlarged view of a bracket channel and a slideway channel in the non-displaced state of the front shelf unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 demonstrates an enlarged view of a hinge head and a hinge slot in an unassembled manner according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 demonstrates another perspective view of the shelf assembly in a partially assembled manner according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 demonstrates a lower side perspective view of the shelf assembly in an unassembled manner according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 demonstrates an upper side perspective view of the shelf assembly in an unassembled manner according to the present invention.

The following numerals are assigned to different part number used in the detailed description:

-   1. Shelf assembly -   2. Front shelf unit -   3. Rear shelf unit -   4. First bracket -   5. Second bracket -   6. First support element -   7. Second support element -   8. Connection means -   9. First hinging means -   10. Second hinging means -   11. First slideway -   12. Second slideway -   13. Railing system -   14. Railing frame -   15. Hinge slot -   16. Bracket channel -   17. Slideway extension -   18. Hinge head -   19. Connection means slot -   20. Grip portion -   21. Lower shelf

The present invention relates to a household appliance and more particularly a refrigeration appliance having a shelf assembly (1) in the manner that a sectionally configured shelf provides a plurality of storage options for placing containers with different sizes in a flexible manner.

The refrigeration appliance according to the invention proposes a shelf assembly (1) having front and rear shelf units (2, 3) while the rear shelf unit (3) is a liftable shelf section to be rotatably leaned on the rear inner compartment wall of the refrigeration appliance. The front shelf unit (2) is operable through a railing system (13) on first and second brackets (4, 5) being fixedly secured in the refrigeration compartment. A first and a second support element (6, 7) supports and connects the two brackets through connection means (8) to form the railing frame (14).

The rear shelf unit (3) is connected to the resulting railing frame (14) by means of first and second hinging means (9, 10) which are attached to the first and second brackets (4, 5) by insertion of a hinge head (18) into a hinge slot (15). The hinge heads (18) thereby provide rotational movement of the rear shelf unit (3) to be oriented in perpendicular direction with regard to its original non-rotated plane. This raised position advantageously allows placement of big size containers on a lower shelf (21), the upper parts of such containers extending through the opening which would otherwise be closed by the rear shelf unit (3). This configuration is demonstrated in FIG. 3 a.

The front shelf unit (2), on the other hand, is connected to the railing frame (14) by means of a first and second slideways (11, 12) in a way that slideway extensions (17) are telescopically movable within bracket channels (16) in association with the first and second brackets (4, 5) of the railing frame (14). The movement of the front shelf unit (2) is supported in a guided manner by the bracket channels (16) into which the slideway extensions (17) are telescopically received.

The shelf assembly (1) can be used as one complete shelf when the front and rear shelf units (2, 3) are in their default position. In case a bigger-size container is needed to be placed on the back side of a lower shelf (21), as mentioned earlier, the rear shelf unit (3) of the shelf assembly (1) is easily lifted to upright position (FIG. 3a ) by means of a grip portion (20). In this way, it is ensured that the inner storing area of the appliance is used efficiently by not limiting the lower shelf area, such as in the cases where the front shelf unit (2) is removed for allowing room to the big container to be placed over the lower shelf (21) or the rear shelf unit (3). Such a temporary placement of the removed shelf unit is not only inconvenient for the user but also the removed shelf unit unnecessarily occupies the shelf area on which it is placed.

When the rear shelf unit (3) is rotated upwards, bigger bottles can either be placed directly adjacent to the lifted rear shelf unit (3) or the front shelf unit (2) can be slid towards the rear shelf unit (3) and the then-emptied front part on the lower shelf (21) can be used (FIG. 3b ).

Accordingly, the front shelf unit (2) can slide backwards after the rear shelf unit (3) is lifted to upright position in case a given container is intended to be placed on the front side of the lower shelf (21), this configuration also providing an ease of access to reach for the container on the part of the user. Therefore, the storing area on the backside of the lower shelf (21) can be efficiently used depending on the specific needs thanks to the advantageously oriented rear shelf unit (3) in perpendicular position and subsequent displacement option of the front shelf unit (2).

Further, the front shelf unit (2) can also slide forward from its original position in loaded state a certain amount (FIG. 3c ) so as to allow easier reach for consumers to containers on the outer part thereof, thereby allowing easier access to the stored items. While this extended configuration allows storage of big containers on the outer part of the front shelf unit (2), it also advantageously provides that a big-size container with the neck portion thereof can extend through an opening between the rear and front shelf units (2, 3) in extended configuration, the big-size container being placed on the central part (FIG. 3d ) of the lower shelf (21).

As the in-between opening in the extending configuration of the front shelf unit (2) as well as the relative distance of neighboring shelves is limited, only a container having a corresponding size and a neck portion dimension matching the relative distance and the size of the in-between opening can be fitted in the proposed configuration. Nevertheless, the proposed configuration offers an additional storage option which can be of real use in case of need. Therefore, this extended configuration allows the full capacity usage of the shelves of the appliance.

According to the present invention, a single railing system being employed in the contrary to the known configurations in which a second channel of displacement is needed to move the front shelf section to the underside of the rear shelf section, a railing system (13) operable on a single axis allowing easy and quick configuration of the shelf assembly (1) is obtainable. As two different sliding axes necessitate relocation of items placed on the shelf section intended to be displaced, the present invention ensures a more practical and more configurable shelf assembly (1) avoiding such inconveniences.

Perpendicular positionment of the rear shelf unit (3) is ensured by means of the first and second hinging means (9, 10) attachable to the rear shelf unit (3). The hinge head (18) fitted inside the hinge slot (15) allows perpendicular orientation by way of rotating the rear shelf unit (3) in the counter-clockwise direction. The grab portion (20) is specifically designed to ensure an ease of use when handling the rear shelf unit (3).

In summary, the present invention proposes a shelf assembly (1), having a front shelf unit (2) and a rear shelf unit (3) wherein the front shelf unit (2) is supported in a guided manner by a railing system (13) in the manner that first and second brackets (4, 5) having bracket channels (16) and first and second slideways (11, 12) having slideway extensions (17) cooperate to ensure a depthwise movement of the front shelf unit (2) on the horizontal plane; the shelf assembly (1) further providing that the rear shelf unit (3) is hingedly attached to the first and second hinging means (9, 10) having a hinge head (18) engageable into hinge slots (15) and rotatable therein so as to impart a perpendicular position to the rear shelf unit (3).

In a nutshell, the invention proposes a refrigeration appliance having a sectionally organized shelf assembly (1) in a refrigeration cabin thereof, the shelf assembly (1) comprising a front and a rear shelf units (2, 3) respectively neighboring in the depthwise direction of the refrigeration cabin, the front and rear shelf units (2, 3) being displaceable relative to a pair of brackets to which they are attachable.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear shelf unit (3) is a liftable shelf section to be hingedly rotatable so as to take a position different than on the shelf assembly (1) plane.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front shelf unit (2) is slidable towards the rear shelf unit (3) in condition that the rear shelf unit (3) is rotated upwards.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the rear shelf unit (3) of the shelf assembly (1) is lifted to upright position by means of a grip portion (20).

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the rear shelf unit (3) is hingedly attached to a first and second brackets (4, 5) by means of a first and second hinging means (9, 10).

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the first and second hinging means (9, 10) are respectively attached to the first and second brackets (4, 5) by insertion of a hinge head (18) of the hinging means into respective hinge slots (15) of the brackets.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front shelf unit (2) is movable in a guided manner through the first and second brackets (4, 5).

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a first and a second support element (6, 7) supports and connects the first and second brackets (4, 5).

In a further embodiment of the present invention, movement of the front shelf unit (2) is supported in a guided manner by bracket channels (16) of the first and second brackets (4, 5) into which slideway extensions (17) of the front shelf unit (2) are receivable.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, bracket channels (16) are longitudinal hollow bodies receiving slideway extensions (17) in a telescopic manner.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front shelf unit (2) is movable forward from a position adjacent to the rear shelf unit's (3) unrotated position on the shelf assembly (1) plane such that an opening between the rear and front shelf units (2, 3) in extended configuration of the front shelf unit (2) is obtained.

Therefore, the household appliance of the invention has a shelf assembly (1) consisting of two shelf units disposed at the rear and front sides of the appliance's cabin. With the proposed system, various usability options for the inner capacity of the appliance are offered by the placement of the rear shelf unit (3) in the original or perpendicular position and by positioning the front shelf unit (2) as desired. 

1. A refrigeration appliance having a sectionally organized shelf assembly in a refrigeration cabin thereof, the shelf assembly comprising a front and a rear shelf units respectively neighboring in the depthwise direction of the refrigeration cabin, the front and rear shelf units being displaceable relative to a pair of brackets to which they are attachable, characterized in that the rear shelf unit is a shelf section hingedly rotatable so as to take a position different than on the shelf assembly plane.
 2. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 1, characterized in that the front shelf unit is slidable towards the rear shelf unit in condition that the rear shelf unit is rotated.
 3. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 2, characterized in that the rear shelf unit of the shelf assembly is rotated to upright position by means of a grip portion.
 4. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 1, characterized in that the rear shelf unit is hingedly attached to a first and second brackets by means of a first and second hinging means.
 5. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 4, characterized in that the first and second hinging means are respectively attached to the first and second brackets by insertion of a hinge head of the hinging means into respective hinge slots of the brackets.
 6. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 4, characterized in that the front shelf unit is movable in a guided manner through the first and second brackets.
 7. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 4, characterized in that a first and a second support element supports and connects the first and second brackets.
 8. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 6, characterized in that movement of the front shelf unit is supported in a guided manner by bracket channels of the first and second brackets into which slideway extensions of the front shelf unit are receivable.
 9. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 8, characterized in that bracket channels are hollow longitudinal bodies receiving slideway extensions in a telescopic manner.
 10. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 1, characterized in that the front shelf unit is movable forward from a position adjacent to the rear shelf unit's unrotated position on the shelf assembly plane such that an opening between the rear and front shelf units in extended configuration of the front shelf unit is obtained. 